At the present time, scanning peripherals provide a wide range of scanning functionality for consumers. A number of accessories are available that enable varying media, such as photographs, slides, and photographic negatives, to be scanned by a consumer. For example, if a user desires to scan transparent media (e.g., photographic negatives or slides), a transparent media accessory available from Hewlett-Packard Company may be utilized in conjunction with a suitable template. Specifically, the transparent media accessory is placed on the scan bed of a flatbed scanner and over the transparent media to be scanned. The transparent media accessory synchronously illuminates the transparent media from the back side of the transparent media during the sweeping of optics by the flatbed scanner. The template is also placed on the scan bed during the scanning operations. The purpose of the template is to block ambient light, because the transparent media accessory prevents the lid of the flatbed scanner from being closed.
To accommodate the ability to scan a variety of media, many scanners may be operated in a number of different modes. A “flatbed” scan mode may be defined for ordinary scan operations. A “positive” scan mode may be defined to scan certain types of media such as transparent slides in which increased resolution and/or dynamic range is appropriate. A “negative” scan mode may be defined for certain types of media in which the optical image is a negative image (i.e., photographic negatives). The selected mode may affect the scan operations (e.g., the resolution of the scan, the duration of the scan, and/or the like). Furthermore, the selected scan mode may affect the processing of the digital data after the scan, itself, is completed. For example, different quantization levels may be applied depending upon the selected mode. Additionally or alternatively, different cropping patterns may be applied depending upon the selected mode.
The scan mode is typically controlled by the user. For example, the user may select various options through a graphical user interface (GUI) of the operating system on the user's personal computer that, in turn, controls the scanner through a suitable driver.